Saudi Arabia has said it is pushing ahead with plans to build a 900km fence along its border with Iraq in an attempt to improve security.

Nawaf Obaid, a security adviser, said on Wednesday the $12 billion border will take between five and six years to complete and will have electronic sensors to protect the oil-rich kingdom from external threats.

Iraq approves

US and Iraqi officials have complained about Saudis crossing into Iraq – mostly through Syria – to join the fight against US-led forces.

In addition, the Saudis want to prevent drug-smugglers, weapons-dealers and illegal migrants from using Iraq as an avenue into the country, said Obaid.

Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the spokesman for Iraq’s interior ministry, said officials had heard of the plans to improve border security and added “we thanked them for it”.

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